adam serrano

CARSON, Calif. – There’s going to be no reserve teams this time around for the LA Galaxy’s seemingly annual U.S. Open Cup trip to North Carolina.

This time, they’ll be bringing the big guns.

Following the team’s first training session after their 2-1 victory over Arizona United SC, both Galaxy forwards Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan told reporters that they believe they’ll be available for selection in Tuesday’s match against the Carolina RailHawks in the fifth round of the U.S. Open Cup.

“We’re all expecting to play in this game. We’re sick of losing to Carolina and we’re sick of going out of the Open Cup early," said Donovan on Friday. "Also we don’t have any MLS games during this break so we need it for fitness. We’re excited for it and I’ve said to Bruce early on that I want to play as much as possible in this tournament; we’re hoping to get a result."

While Donovan hopes to be in the lineup from the outset, Keane may be utilized in a substitute’s role as the team’s Irish captain recently returned from Ireland where he served as the best man at a best friend’s wedding.

“I’ll have to speak to Bruce, but I imagine that we’ll take a full team. It’s a competition that we certainly need to win,” said Keane. “If I start though is another thing, it’s a question that I’ll have with Bruce.”

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Expect Donovan and Keane to play against the RailHawks? Can the Galaxy get through in the U.S. Open Cup?

With Altidore unavailable, Klinsmann may be forced to tinker with his formation as neither of his two remaining strikers Aron Johannsson or Chris Wondolowski are as capable at holding possession as the injured Altidore.

The injury news wasn’t all negative for the U.S., however, as Matt Besler and Clint Dempsey were each given a clean bill of health for Sunday’s game in the Amazonian city of Manaus.

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Who do you believe should replace Altidore in the starting XI? Vote in the poll below.'

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Bruce Arena addressed the media following the LA Galaxy's 2-1 victory over Arizona United on Wednesday.

(On the team’s second half performance...)

ARENA: “It’s difficult getting behind on the road but our guys came out in the second half and got the job done and did a good job. We had a few hectic moments but I think overall we had a good attitude and we played well.”

(On Gyasi Zardes’ brace...)

ARENA: “Two good goals, good service that we had been lacking for a while so it’s good to see.”

(On the struggles with the heat...)

ARENA: “The heat wasn’t bad. We were very fortunate, we got lucky with the weather tonight. I know it’s going to be a lot more humid and probably a little bit warmer in Raleigh next week. We got a little bit of conditioning on that but it won’t quite be what it is like on the East Coast.”

(On the Galaxy next U.S. Open Cup rival, the Carolina RailHawks...)

ARENA “We are looking forward to it.”

(On the game...)

ARENA: “It was a difficult game. I think our guys did well given the circumstances, going behind a goal so we can’t complain, it’s a good one.”

(On the team’s improvements in the second half...)

ARENA: “We just got our service a little bit better to help create two goals. Our guys had a good healthy attitude, they came out in an aggressive fashion.”

In a press conference just a day after the team’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Ghana, head coach Jurgen Klinsmann revealed that Dempsey suffered a fractured nose after a clattering challenge in the first half while both Altidore (hamstring injury) and Besler (hamstring tightness) have undergone MRIs to determine the severity of injuries that they also endured in the opening 45 minutes. During his briefing with the press, Klinsmann said that Besler and Dempsey will likely be available for the Portugal match, but Altidore’s injury may require a bit more time.

“With Jozy, we’ve got to see now how he reacts the next couple of days with his hamstring and we are full of hope that he comes back still in this tournament,” said Klinsmann. “That’s what we kind of work on every day; the medical staff is doing a tremendous job. We still have the hope that Jozy will be back. How quickly? That is down to his healing process.”

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Think Altidore will come back in time? Who will start if Altidore can not play against Portugal?

Donovan, who was controversially left off U.S. National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann's roster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, spoke about the injury to Jozy Altidore and his impression of the team's mood heading into their second group stage match against Portugal. However, his most telling comment was regarding the allegations that Klinsmann had overtrained the team resutling in injuries to Altidore and center back Matt Besler.

“My guess is if you’ve having a bunch of muscle injuries and cramping and stuff like that, there was some factor involved, whether it was overtraining, whether [they] weren’t prepared for the heat," he said. "There was something that went on there, so you could be a little critical.”

John Anthony Brooks scored the game winning goal in the 86th minute as the U.S. defeated Ghana 2-1 in their Group G opener. Clint Dempsey gave the United States the lead just 34 seconds into the game before Andre Ayew equalized in the 82nd minute for the Black Stars before Brooks' dramatic winner for the USMNT.

On Monday, LA Galaxy center back Omar Gonzalez will develop a lasting memory of his very first World Cup match when the U.S. takes on Ghana in their Group G opener.

But what about Gonzalez's first World Cup memory?

That goes back to the 1994 FIFA World Cup when Gonzalez was just a child living outside of Dallas.

"My first World Cup memory as a kid was at the Cotton Bowl, I got a chance to go to a few games as a volunteer," Gonzalez recently told LAGalaxy.com. "When I was there, my mom tells me that I used to mimic Bebeto's celebration."